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W. A. EHRMANNTRAUT. DEVICE FOR PREVENTING THE ESCAPE OF GOLD AIR FROM BEER GOOLERS.

No. 437,583. Patented Sept. 30, 1890.

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A Attorney I UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE. 5 I

- WILLIAM A. EHRMANNTRAUT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

DEVICE FORPREVENTING THE ESCAPE F COLD AIR FROM BEER-COOLERS;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,583, dated September 30, 1890.

Application filed May 15, 1890. Serial No. 351,947. (Nomodeh) v To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. EHRMANN- TRAUT, a citizen of the United States, residing at IVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Devices for Preventing the Escape of Cold Air from Beer-Coolers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of said invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked ltihereon, which form a part of this specifica- My invention relates to devices for preventing the escape of cold air from beer-cooling refrigerators; and the object of my invention is to provide a simple and cheap attachment for beer-coolers, which will prevent the cool air from escaping from the cooling-chamber or an inflow of warm air-into the cooling chamber around the spigot.

In the beer-coolers now in use the doors are usually hinged at their upper edge to the box and an opening left at the lower edge, through which the spigot projects from the keg to the outside of the box. An open space is usually left around the spigot, through which the cold air from the chamber can es cape or the Warm air from the outside rushes in and tends to raise the temperature of the cooling-chamber, and as a consequence the ice is wasted to a great extent.

The practicenowis to fill in the space around the spigot with rags or waste-paper; but this is attended with considerable trouble and inconvenience, while by my invention I provide a detachable device which can be readily applied and removed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view of a beer-keg mounted on suitable supports in the co0ling-chamber, only the front portion of the cooling-chamber being shown. Fig. 2 is a front view of a portion of the cooler, showing a door and the air-stopping device. Fig. 3 is a sectional end view of a portion of the door and the air-stopping devices. Fig..

. 4 is a side view of one of the blocks which hold the rubber pad in position. Fig. 5 is a front view of the rubber-pad which encircles the spigot, and Fig. 6 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. 5.

A indicates the front walls of an ordinary] beer-cooling refrigerator, and B the doorto the same, which is hinged at its upperedge to the main body, as indicated at a. The lower edge of the door is provided with a slot or opening 0, through which the spigot D is allowed to pass into the end of the keg E, and a suitable catch or look F is secured to the lower edge of the door for engagement with the walls of the cooling-chamber, so as to hold the door firmly and tightly closed, as shown in Fig. 2.

G is a pad, made, by preference, of rubber; but other suitable material may be used, such as heavy felt. The pad G is provided with a central aperture b for surrounding the spigot on the outside of the door, said pad being sufficiently large to cover and lap well over the sides and upper endof the slot 0, and also to lap over the outer wall of the main cooling-chamber at the bottom of "the slot, as indicated at 1 in Fig. 2.

II is a slit formed in the pad G, which extends from the aperture 1) to the edge thereof, said slit being cut in a diagonal form, as shown in Fig. 6, so that when the pad is pressed against the door of the cooler by the devices to be presently described the slit portion will be pressed firmly together. The central opening 12 may be provided with an annular. extension at, for a purpose which will be more fully described hereinafter.

I are blocks or cleats, having their abutting edges chamfered off so as to form a tight joint, as shown at 2, Fig. 3. These blocks are provided with a semicircular recess K, which will fit over and surround the spigot and the annular flange d of the-pad G. The upper ends of the blocks or cleats I are beveled off, so as to form an inclined surface L, and the inclined surfaces are rounded off from their inner to their outer edges.

M is a lever pivoted at one end to the door G. The under side of this lever is hollowed 9 5 out, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to fit over the rounded portion of the blocks or cleats I and draw the same close together, thus forcing the cleats or blocks against the pad G and holding the same tightly in position against the door.

The operation of my device is as follows:

When it is desired to tap a fresh keg of beer, the lever G is removed from around the spigot, the door is then opened and secured in an elevated position, and the keg removed. The spigot is then inserted in a fresh keg and the keg placed in the cooling-chamber. The door is now closed and the slit in the pad G is opened,

so as to allow the same to be placed over the spigot and forced up against the outside of the door and over the slot 0. The cleats or blocks I are now placed on each side of the spigot and the lever M is forced down over the cleats,thus pressing the pad closelyaround the spigot and against the door.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

1. In a device for sealing beer-coolers or refrigerators, a pad adapted to fit over the opening in the door and around the spigot, blocks or cleats adapted to fit over the pad,

and a lever for forcing the blocks against the pad, as described. I

2. In a device for sealing beer-coolers or refrigerators, a pad adapted to fit over the opening in the door and around the spigot, blocks or cleats adapted to fit over the pad, having an inclined face on their upper portion, the said faces being rounded oif from their inner sides, and a lever having a curved bearin g portion substantially as described, Whereby as the lever is forced down the blocks will be drawn together by the curved lever engaging the curved surfaces of the blocks and force the same against the pad by its inclined face, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. WILLIAM A. EHRMANNTRAUT. Witnesses:

S. M. HOWARD, H. M. STERLING. 

